In a climate of growing separatist sentiment with ‘indyref2’ (a second referendum for Scottish Independence) continuing to threaten the union and discussions of Welsh independence moving from marginal to mainstream, could an independent ‘Northumbria’ become a reality? The Northern Independence Party (NIP) believes so. Who are the Northern Independence Party? The Northern Independence Party (NIP), represented by its Whippet logo, has caught headlines since announcing their intention to field th

On the 16th of March 2021, Home Secretary Priti Patel announced plans to switch the electoral system for London Mayoral Elections to First Past the Post. This change would apply not only to the election of London’s Mayor, but elected mayors in nine other combined authorities in England, as well as the election of Police and Crime Commissioners in both England and Wales. This announcement has been criticised by opposition parties, as well as pressure groups - such as the Electoral Reform Society

On the 19th of February 2021, six Lord Justices of the Supreme Court ruled that UK Uber drivers were not self-employed and should be classified as ‘workers’. With the Supreme Court unanimously dismissing Uber’s claim that they acted as an intermediary party, and that drivers were working whenever logged in to the app not just when carrying passengers, it is clear that this ruling could have seismic impacts not only for Uber, but for gig economy as a whole. Where did this all begin? The case wa

Universal Basic Income (UBI), sometimes known as a Citizen’s dividend, is a system of wealth distribution that seeks to implement a comprehensive safety net, preventing people from falling below the poverty line. UBI, a system that offers “free money” to all those that “have a pulse”, may sound like an unattainable, unrealistic, and unaffordable concept, but it is more mainstream than people realise, and COVID-19 has only solidified its place on the agenda. Under UBI, a monthly deposit — not in

Is the guarantee really ‘cast-iron’? Despite education secretary Gavin Williamson’s “cast-iron” guarantee that exams would “absolutely” go ahead, many persist in their demands for the government to follow a similar route to the 2020 exam season, cancelling the exams and rewarding grades through an improved algorithm or centre assessed system (CAGs). With the new strain of COVID resulting in the largest rise in cases since the beginning of the pandemic, harsher restrictions being introduced, an

Despite mounting pressure to reconsider the status of schools in the new year, Education Secretary Gavin Williamson has remained ardent in the belief that schools must open in January. However, with the very real risk offered by the new strain of COVID-19, some fear that this could lead to a significant increase in cases with scientists estimating that the new strain may be up to 70% more contagious. Under the current measures, GCSE and A-level students (and the children of key workers) in Engl